News

A Committee of the Whole meeting of the Peace River Regional District Board will be held on Thursday, January 28, 2021 at the PRRD Office Boardroom at 1981 Alaska Avenue in Dawson Creek, beginning at 10:00 a.m.

The regular meeting of the Peace River Regional District Board will immediately follow.  Visit prrd.bc.ca/agendas-minutes/ to view the meeting agendas.

 Board meetings are currently closed to the public due to COVID-19, but members of the public are invited to watch the Board meetings livestreamed over Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialPRRD/

Reminder – Intake for grant applications is open until January 31st.

You must be a rural not-for-profit registered society with at least 75% rural membership and provide recreation, arts, sports, and/or social activities for the rural community at large (Electoral Area B, C, E or Sub-Regional areas). Funding may assist with projects for improvements, events and/or some general operating costs. Applications can be downloaded from the PRRD website Grant Services page under the Electoral Area Grants section.

As part of the construction for BC Hydro’s Site C project, BC Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) approvals were granted for the use of a conveyor system to move dam construction material from the 85th Ave. Industrial Lands to the dam construction site.

BC Hydro is now planning to apply to the BC Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) for an amendment to the project’s approval in order to haul this material in dump trucks by public road in the event the conveyor system is shut down.

Additional facts about the proposed changes:

• Hauling material by truck will occur a minimum of 1 day per month, and will possibly occur up to 7 months per year from 2021 through 2023.
• When road hauling occurs, there will be up to 122 trucks per hour between 7 am and 7 pm (except during school bus hours) travelling this proposed route
• This works out to 1 truck passing any point on the roads every 30 seconds.
• Haul trucks will be typical dump trucks seen on public roads, such as those pictured below

Peace River Regional District Position on the Proposed Changes

The Peace River Regional District (PRRD) Board and staff are very concerned about the traffic, dust, noise, nuisances and increased disturbance to residents that hauling from 85th Ave. Industrial Lands would cause.

This notice to residents is the first step in our response. Your Board will be making submissions to the BC Environmental Assessment Office (EAO), with a copy to BC Hydro, and will work to ensure that residents have a full opportunity to provide input.

Please watch for further information and opportunities to provide your input.

Any questions or inquiries regarding the pending application should be referred to:

Site C Project Team
Email: sitec@bchydro.com
Tel: 250-785-3420
Toll Free: 877-217-0777

If you provide comments to BC Hydro, please copy PRRD on your submission at: communications@prrd.bc.ca
If sending by mail, contact: 250-784-3200

Download and Print the Notice Here

The Proposed Charlie Lake Fire Services Expansion Petition results have now been posted. There is a +/-20% in favour response for the proposed expansion of the Charlie Lake Fire Department to include Road Rescue and First Medical Response Services. Section 337 (3) of the Local Government Act states that in order for a petition to be certified as sufficient, it must be signed by the owners of at least 50% of the parcels that in total represent 50% of the net taxable value of all land and improvements within the service area, and Section 212 (4-6) of the Community Charter states that the corporate officer must determine the validity and sufficiency of a petition to the Board, and certify this determination.

As there were less than 50% of the property owners in favour of expansion of the Charlie Lake Fire Department to include either first medical responder services or road rescue services, the petitions failed.

You can find more information about the petition that was held by view the engage page here, or by reading the report on the January 14, 2021 Regional Board Meeting Agenda.

Application Intake Open – Applicants must be rural not-for-profit registered society with at least 75% rural membership and provide recreation, arts, sports and/or social activities for the rural community at large (Electoral Area B, C, E or Sub-Regional). Funding may assist with improvement projects, events and/or some operational costs. Applications can be downloaded from the PRRD website Grant Services page under the Electoral Area Grants section.

Applications will be accepted until January 31st.

Please be advised that until further notice the PRRD Share Sheds will be closed to help flatten the curve of COVID-19.  Thank you for your patience and understanding.  If you have any questions please call the PRRD at 250-784-3200 or toll free at 1-800-670-7773

Due to the new province-wide restrictions put in place on November 19, 2020, masks are now required by everyone who enters Peace River Regional District offices and facilities. It is our responsibility to follow public health orders. Thank you for your compliance. View the full public health order at on the Province of BC website

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 restrictions and obstacles identified during the planning process, the PPRD is advising residents that the Wonowon Public Meeting scheduled for November 24, regarding proposed upgrades to the Wonowon subdivision, will be delayed until the New Year.

The PRRD wants to ensure that the project is successful, and will use this additional time to conduct additional research and develop more options. Staff are working on a new package to be delivered to all residents in the Wonowon area. Residents will have time to review that information and submit comments and questions before a new meeting date is set. We will advise you of the new meeting date as soon as possible (more…)

Due to weather, the Pink Mountain Transfer Station will be closed today, November 18. It is anticipated that the site will reopen during for regular operations on Friday November 20. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

For more information on landfills and transfer stations please visit, https://prrd.bc.ca/services/garbage-and-recycling/  

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The Peace River Regional District has launched a petition that will let property owners in Charlie Lake decide if the local volunteer fire department should provide road rescue and first medical response services (FMR) to residents.

Property owners will begin to receive petition packages in the mail next week, with detailed information on the process, the proposed services and costs. If they approve one or both of the new services, owners will be levied for training and equipment start-up costs in 2021 and for operating costs in future years. Property owners in favour are asked to fill out and return the petitions by mail. Those not in favour of either or both services can simply not return the petitions.

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The Peace River Regional District released a letter sent to the parties with candidates running in the upcoming BC election asking for assistance to negotiate a community measures agreement to mitigate the impacts of Site C on regional district residents and services.

Letters were sent to candidates and parties in the Peace River North and South ridings on October 16, 2020. The PRRD Board of Directors looks forward to hearing from candidates on their parties’ views ahead of the October 24 BC provincial election.

For more information:

Click here to read Letter to Candidates

Click here to read the Media Release

Click here to read PRRD Site C Community Measures Agreement Background Information

After reviewing a number of options for the Rose Prairie Water Station, the Peace River Regional District will be moving forward with the installation of a pilot, Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) Filter, at the Rose Prairie Water Station.  Once the modular unit is in place, it is estimated that the pilot will run for 4-6 weeks to ensure the water meets acceptable health standards for the residents of Electoral Area B.

The GAC Filters will be installed at the Rose Prairie Water Station over the summer, during which time the water will continue to be tested to ensure the new filters are working as expected and the water is meeting Northern Health standards. The pilot study for the GAC Filters will be installed on the Bottle Fill, with the commissioning and opening of the Bottle Fill planned to take place late August/early September at the earliest. If the pilot test on the Bottle Fill system is successful then full-scale design and construction will be the included next steps.

We want to thank residents once again for their patience throughout this project. The Staff and Directors at the PRRD are looking forward to seeing the Rose Prairie Water Station fully operational and serving the residents of Electoral Area B in 2020.

The City of Fort St. John and the Peace River Regional District have been working in partnership towards an adjustment of property lines for the Festival Plaza Development.

The Festival Plaza, which will be located on the southeast corner of 100 Street and 96 Avenue, was identified in the Downtown Action Plan as one of 10 Big Moves to Energize the Downtown. The development will consist of a covered shelter, food truck stalls, performance space and washrooms. It will be a year-round home for the farmers market, community events, food vendors, buskers, social gatherings and public art.

The Peace River Regional District will be placing public notices as per the requirements of the Local Government Act regarding the disposition of this property.

Construction on this project is slated to begin in Summer 2020, stay up-to-date with all City of Fort St. John Capital Projects at www.fortstjohn.ca/capital-projects.

To see the full press release, please click the link below.

Media Release – City and PRRD Announce Agreement for Festival Plaza Lands

Board Meetings

All PRRD Board Meetings will be live-streamed on the PRRD Facebook page to allow the public to view Board Meetings.  Note that due to room occupancy limits, gallery seating for the public is limited to 4 people in order to ensure physical distancing.  Please check our “COVID-19 Resources for Residents” page for a quick reference guide on attending Board meetings.

Facility Status

See Quick Reference Guides for more info!

• PRRD Main Office in Dawson Creek – open to the public
• PRRD Office in Fort St John – open to the public
• Charlie Lake Fire Hall – open by appointment (250 785-1424)
• PRRD Warehouse – open by appointment (250 784-3200)
• Landfills & transfer stations – open see schedule 
• Water Stations – open
• Charlie Lake Sewer Receiving – open
• Share Sheds (open June 15th)

Regional Parks

See Quick Reference Guide for more info!

• Blackfoot Regional Park  – open for camping (first come first served basis)
• Spencer Tuck Regional Park – open for day use
• Sundance Lake Regional Park – open for day use
• Minaker Regional Park – closed
• Montney Regional Park  – open for day use
• Iver Johnson Community Park – open for day use
• Note: All PRRD Parks Washroom / Outhouse Facilities are open but are not cleaned daily

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The Peace River Regional District is pleased to release the 2019 Climate Action Revenue Incentive Program (CARIP) report.

Click here to read the report

The Peace River Regional District has adopted a new fee structure at Regional Landfills that gives the PRRD the ability to charge separate rates for residential and commercial landfill users. Under the new system, residents will not see any changes to their current bills while commercial users will see an increase of 3.3% beginning on May 1^st, 2020.

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Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, meetings that were scheduled to discuss the next steps for the Rose Prairie Water Station were cancelled and have not yet been rescheduled at this time. PRRD Staff are eager and committed to looking for solutions to move forward on the Rose Prairie Water Station, however, health and safety must come first. These meetings will be rescheduled as soon as possible and we will update you on future plans and actions for the Rose Prairie Water Station as soon as we have new information available.

Today is the 1 Year Anniversary of North East BC Emergency & Public Alerts! Over 1000 Residents of the Peace Region have already signed up for receive alerts! Thank you for staying informed and spreading the word about North East BC Emergency & Public Alerts in your community.

Click here to sign up today!

PRRD Offices are now open to the Public with new procedures to keep both the public and our staff safe!

Quick Reference Guides

Camping and Recreating in PRRD Parks

Operating a PRRD Owned Community Facility

Renting a PRRD Owned Community Facility

Using PRRD Water Stations

Taking Items to Landfills and Transfer Stations

Making a Development Application

Using the Charlie Lake Sewer Receiving Facility

Attending a Board or Committee Meeting

Frequently Asked Questions About PRRD Operations

How do I speak to or make an appointment with staff?

Peace River Regional District offices are now open for their regular office hours. To speak to one of our staff, the public is welcome to come to our offices during business hours or may also use our staff directory to reach any of our staff members.

What are the PRRD Office COVID procedures?

The PRRD has introduced new safety procedures to ensure that everyone who visits our office – both the public and staff – are as safe as possible. These new procedures include:

• Everyone entering PRRD facilities must sanitize their hands when they come in.
• Each room, including meeting rooms and reception areas, have a maximum occupancy to ensure we are able to follow social distancing. If the occupancy is exceeded, please wait outside until someone exits.
• An information log will be kept of all people to enter PRRD offices to help with contact tracing should someone who has been in our offices discover they have COVID-19.

How many people are allowed in PRRD Offices?

The number of people allowed in a room/building has been determined by the size and ability to ensure physical distancing (staying a minimum of 2 metres or 6 feet apart).

• The maximum number of public allowed in the Fort St John Office Reception Area: 2
• The maximum number of public allowed in the Dawson Creek Office Reception Area: 3 

When will PRRD facilities be opening?

As all of BC begins to return to our ‘new normal’ of the BC Restart Plan, the Peace River Regional District will be taking steps towards recovery with the new PRRD COVID Recovery Plan. We are currently in Phase Two of the PRRD Recovery Plan, which sees a number of facilities open.

Phase 1 (Mid – Late May 2020)

Staff resume work in Dawson Creek and Fort St John offices Montney Centennial Park and Iver Johnson Park opens for day-use only

Phase 2 ( June to September 2020)

PRRD offices open to the public Charlie Lake Fire members resume in-person training with conditions PRRD community halls may resume maintenance and cleaning activities with conditions. Essential public hearings, on a case by case basis, may resume in-person if electronic options are not available and if ap propriate meeting venues and sanitization requirements can be met Blackfoot Regional Park opens for camping. Share Sheds Open (as of June 15)   Minaker River Regional Park opens for camping PRRD will consider, on a case by case basis, community halls holding small events with less than 50 people (starting in July)   Chetwynd Recreation Centre and North Peace Leisure Pool will open under the direction of the municipalities. Buick and Clearview Arenas will open at the direction of School District No 60 Essential in-region travel

Phase 3 (TBD)

Date to be determined dependent on public health, social and economic factors to be examined starting in August 2020 Non-essential meetings Public engagement activities In-person engagement with First Nations communities Out-of-region travel

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The PRRD is continuing to monitor the COVID-19 / Coronavirus situation. We encourage residents to stay up to date and continue to follow the Provincial and Federal Governments as the official sources for new information. Below are some resources that may be helpful for residents:

BC Centre for Disease Control    |  Website    Facebook

Northern Health    |  Website    Facebook

Northern BC Information Line: 1-844-645-7811

Government of Canada – Public Health    |   Website     Facebook

Health Link BC (BC Ministry of Health)    |   Website     Facebook

First Nations Health Authority    |   Website     Facebook

BC 211    |   Website     Facebook

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During this difficult time, the Peace River Regional District will be taking steps to protect employees and the public by closing the PRRD Main office in DC, office in FSJ, Charlie Lake Fire Hall, and Warehouse to the public as of 4:30pm on March 20th.

Many of our employees will now be working remotely to combat the spread of COVID-19. We want to reassure our residents that PRRD employees will still be available to help.

For assistance, please call the PRRD at 250-784-3200 / Toll Free: 800-670-7773. To contact a PRRD staff member by email, visit the Staff Directory to find a list of our staff with their contact information.

Continue to check prrd.bc.ca for future updates.

As of March 14, 2020 the North Peace Leisure Pool will be closed until further notice. Please refer to the City of Fort St John’s website for more information. 

For information on Pool and Facilities in other municipalities, please refer to their websites. 

Following the January Update, Directors and staff at the PRRD are continuing to evaluate alternative options to come up with the best solution for the Rose Prairie Water Station.

Thank you again to the residents still waiting for the Rose Prairie Water Station. We appreciate your frustration and thank you for your patience yet again. Another update on the Rose Prairie Water Station will be issued by the end of March. 

Learn more about the Rose Prairie Water Station by visiting the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page at prrd.bc.ca.

Congratulations to the PRRD Finance Department for receiving their 2018 Canadian Award for Financial Reporting Award. 

The Canadian Award for Financial Reporting has been awarded to the Peace River Regional District, British Columbia by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA)  for its annual financial report. The Canadian Award for Financial Reporting Program was established to encourage municipal governments throughout Canada to publish high-quality financial reports and to provide peer recognition and technical guidance for officials preparing these reports. Its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.

Click here to download the 2018 Annual Report

Click here to learn more about the Canadian Award for Financial Reporting

The Partnership Agreement between the Province of BC, Government of Canada, Saulteau First Nations, and West Moberly First Nations for the recovery of southern mountain caribou was signed on Friday, February 21, 2020.

Read More: Southern Mtn. Caribou Partnership Agreement Signed

Following the last Rose Prairie Water Station Update on December 20, 2019, the Electoral Area Directors Committee made a resolution to authorize testing a second water well near the water station as a potential alternative water source while work continues on the existing sulphide/turbidity issues.

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At the January 23rd Board Meeting, the PRRD Board received a response to their December 13th Letter from Premier John Horgan and resolved: 

That the Regional Board support the District of Chetwynd by advising the Honourable John Horgan, Premier of BC, that it will not participate in the following scheduled caribou related working group meetings:

• Snowmobile Advisory Committee (January 23, 2020 in Dawson Creek)
• Land Use Objectives Stakeholder Committee & Socio-Economic Advisory Committee (January 24, 2020 in Chetwynd) unless local government is awarded a seat on the Caribou Recovery Committee specified in the Partnership Agreement to Recover the Central Group of Southern Mountain Caribou, or a meeting of the Leaders’ Table is called and local government is provided information that local government will be provided the opportunity to participate in the Partnership Agreement, other than through separate advisory committees.

This resolution was sent in a letter to Premier John Horgan on January 23rd, 2020. 

Find more information, see the Southern Mountain Caribou Engage Page!

The Peace River Regional District would like to apologize for the delays in opening the Rose Prairie Water Station. Residents have been extremely patient in what we know has been a frustrating process.  During the commissioning of the Rose Prairie Water Station earlier this year, Sulphides were found in the water supply. Additional treatments have been installed to reduce the Sulphides, however, these treatments have not yet been able to decrease the measurable turbidity (cloudiness) in the water to acceptable levels. The PRRD’s goal is to open the Rose Prairie Water Station as soon as possible, however, the health and safety of residents is our top concern. Before opening, the Rose Prairie Water Station must meet the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality and the BC Ministry of Health treatment objectives for groundwater.  The PRRD is carefully weighing different options to move forward with the Rose Prairie Water Station.  So far, options include locating an alternative water source within the vicinity of the existing water station and/or additional treatment upgrades. It is our intention to have an update for residents by the end of January 2020.

The Peace River Regional District would like to once again thank residents for their patience and look forward to the opening of the Rose Prairie Water Station in 2020!

Read the Rose Prairie Water Station Frequently Asked Questions here!

Let’s tell the story of the Agriculture Industry in the Peace. The PRRD is asking Peace Region Farmers to complete a short survey about how the poor weather in 2019 has affected producers and businesses.

Visit prrd.bc.ca/engage/agriculture to find out more and take the survey.

• Due to the unfavorable weather conditions, many farmers were not able to harvest their crops and they will remain in the fields until they can be harvested in the spring.
• Driving snowmobiles and other recreational vehicles on the crops will damage them, resulting in less crops being viable in the spring.
• If you need to get around a field, choose to drive around the edges than through the middle of the field.

Notice on Production Insurance – Unharvested Grain and Canola Crops from the Ministry of Agriculture

The PRRD is taking the situation facing the Agriculture Industry extremely seriously and is taking action to advocate for agriculture.

At the November 14^th Board Meeting, the Peace River Regional District Board resolved to take action in support the local agriculture industry by sending a letter to provincial and federal representatives, including Premier John Horgan, Minister of Agriculture, Lana Popham, MLA Dan Davies, MLA Mike Bernier, and MP Bob Zimmer.  The Peace River Regional District would like to clarify that while the PRRD Board is in full support of the Agriculture industry and local farmers, there has not been a declaration of an Agricultural Emergency at this time. Video of the full discussion regarding the report can be found on the PRRD’s website at https://prrd.bc.ca/agendasminutes/peace-river-regional-district-prrd/.

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October 24th, 2019

Dear Premier Horgan:

Re: Leaders’ Table re: Caribou

On October 10^th, the Peace River Regional District wrote to you to express extreme disappointment that the Board did not receive an invitation to participate in the proposed Leaders’ Table regarding the Draft Intergovernmental Partnership Agreement for the Conservation of the Central Group of the Southern Mountain Caribou. . . .

Click Here to Read the Full Letter

The North East BC Emergency & Public Alerts system has hit 1,000 subscribers! Have you and your family signed up? 

North East BC Emergency & Public Alerts is a community-wide notification system. Residents who subscribe will be alerted about emergencies and other important community news by signing up. Residents can sign up to receive time-sensitive messages on their home, mobile or business phone, email address, or by text message.

Walkthrough the signup process quickly and easily with this tutorial video!

The Peace River Regional District Board has requested the information referred to by the Ministry of Public Safety in their July 26, 2019 email. 

Click here to read the full letter

‘Gotta Go’ pilot project establishes the first new restroom facility along the Alaska Highway. 

Read the full news release – Gotta Go News Release – June 25th

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The Peace River Regional District is pleased to release the 2018 Climate Action Revenue Incentive Program (CARIP) report. 

Click here to read the report

Click here to read the letter from Chair Brad Sperling on behalf of the PRRD Board to Hon. Minister McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and Hon. Minister Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, regarding the community division caused by the Southern Mountain Caribou engagement process. 

Water credits will be charged starting on June 15th at a rate of $3.00/m³.

Complete the signup process online at prrdwater.com or visit one of the PRRD offices in Fort St John or Dawson Creek during regular office hours for assistance.

Once registered, residents will be able to purchase water credits online any time of the day or night from their computer or other device and have access to potable water stations using their individual access code and pin.

Read the Water Station How-To Guide for more information on setting up your account online!

Continue to watch prrd.bc.ca for water station updates. 

How Will You Stay Informed About Emergencies?

Your safety is our top concern – that’s why communities in North East BC want to make sure you know about emergencies and public alerts as they happen. The Peace River Regional District will use the North East BC Emergency & Public Alerts system powered by Everbridge to make sure you know about issues that may affect your safety. This system allows the Peace River Regional District to contact thousands of residents in seconds so you can find out about an emergency right away. Receive important messages from the Peace River Regional District via email, phone, and text!

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March 25, 2019- The Peace River Regional District has issued an evacuation order for the house and surrounding property at 8657 Highway 29 South. This property is located in Electoral Area E, between Chetwynd and Tumbler Ridge.

The evacuation order was issued due to a landslide impacting the property and it is believed that there is an imminent threat to life and property.

 The occupants self-evacuated on March 23, 2019.

The Peace River Regional District is working with EMBC and other agencies to determine the next steps.

The Charlie Lake Fire Department was paged out at 18:34 on March 17, 2019, to respond to a structure fire on Poplar Road.

Once CLFD arrived, the fire was found to be burning in a bedroom. With quick action of the CLFD firefighters, the fire was knocked down, stopping the fire from spreading.

I8 firefighters were on scene, along with Engine 1, Engine 2, Tender 1, Rescue, and Squad 1 & 2. BC Ambulance Service and BC Hydro attended the scene as well.

The Peace River Regional District continues to advocate for an open conversation between the public and the Province regarding the status of the discussions about caribou recovery.

In a letter to Chair Brad Sperling, Minister George Heyman confirmed that the government is committed to advancing caribou recovery, while seeking to provide for the best interests of British Columbians. He noted that to help this iconic species recover, there needs to be a collaborative approach that works for everyone, and that as the Provincial Government moves forward with caribou recovery, BC will be looking at the impacts of all land uses.

Since the meeting in Prince George with the Province, Chair Sperling has continued to be in contact with the province as they work with the Federal government to roll out the consultation to the region. Chair Sperling has requested that a minimum of three public consultations be held in the region. He would like to see meetings held in Chetwynd, Dawson Creek and Fort St. John.

Full Media release here: 2019-15-2019 Caribou Press release

February 1, 2019- At the request of the Peace River Regional District and North Island 9-1-1, E-Comm (9-1-1 answer point for the Peace River Regional District) has provided the following information after a report of a 9-1-1 call connection delay on January 8, 2019.

Media Release